Week 0: Auburn vs. Hoover Preview!

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are gearing up for some exciting matchups in Week 1 and one of those is Auburn and Hoover facing off this Friday!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>THE BREAKDOWN</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In what promises to be a thriller between the two 7A giants, Hoover High School is set to face off against Auburn High School this upcoming Friday. Last season the two faced off in a season-opening matchup that ended in an Auburn 17-14 victory. After such a thrilling introduction to the 2022 season, both teams ended up having very successful seasons. Hoover ended up going 11-2 and eventually losing to Thompson in the playoffs, whereas Auburn went 12-2 and lost to Thompson in the state championship. This year, both teams have reloaded and are ready to go for what should be huge years for both teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HOOVER</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoover has a few prospects that seriously are going to impact this game:<br><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='393181' first='Bradley' last='Shaw']-LB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shaw is a dominant LB who has steadily developed into one of the best in the state and nation's 2024 class. Shaw is a heat-seeking missile that flies around the field to deliver big hits, make tackles, and create turnovers. Shaw is coming off a terrific junior year where he was able to produce at a very high level where he also emerged as the central leader of Hoover's defense. Shaw has received a bunch of collegiate attention from schools like Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State, and more and he is absolutely going to make some plays this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401114' first='Jonah' last='Winston']-ATH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='401114' first='Jonah' last='Winston'] is fresh off of a massive freshman season where he showed off tons of athleticism and talent in a variety of ways, but especially as a pass catcher. Winston is a terrific route runner who has some great hands- he can gain tons of separation and make some tough grabs all around the field, and with his speed and playmaking ability he's going to be a player to keep track of this week. Winston has picked up a bunch of collegiate attention already as a sophomore, as he has picked up offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, and more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>AUBURN</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Auburn also has some serious talent around their team that are going to be big factors this fall:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='847825' first='Griffin' last='McLean']-TE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='847825' first='Griffin' last='McLean'] has a ton of versatility at TE for Auburn and has proved to be a big factor in their offense. With his pass-catching abilities, McLean is a really reliable target for his quarterback- he has great hands, fights for every yard, and is able to consistently move the chains for his offense. As a blocker, McLean has excellent leverage, hand placement, and power that allow him to seriously drive defenders off the line of scrimmage and into the second level. McLean has picked up offers from Samford and Austin Peay.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='317156' first='Hugh' last='Bodiford']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='317156' first='Hugh' last='Bodiford'] is a talented OL prospect who really helps Auburn's offense in a number of ways. Bodiford is a force on the interior offensive line, he has a ton of flexibility, power, and strength that allow him to be highly effective in both pass protection and run blocking as well. Bodiford does a great job protecting the quarterback and is able to easily move around the field to block defenders in the second and third level in the run game with great ease. Bodiford is going to be huge against Auburn's front- we're going to have to keep watch!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the anticipation builds for this high-stakes rematch, we can't wait to see how this ends up. The stage is set for an electrifying game between the two storied programs- be sure to mark your calendars for Friday's showdown, as Hoover and Auburn get ready for a huge Week 1 matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->